I'm preparing for Adobe Max and so should you

Adobe will hold its annual creative conference this October. Are you ready to attend?

I attended my first Adobe Max conference back in 2017. I was blown away by how organized this event was. This wasn't my first time attending a technology-based conference, but it was definitely a new experience.

This year's Max is October 15-17 in Los Angeles. Man, oh man I need to prepare. But first, let me share my thoughts regarding the conference and the folks at Adobe for those of you who may be interested in attending. I also want to temper your expectations.

What is Adobe Max?

I remember asking myself this question three years ago as I stumbled across a video on YouTube where I saw "#Adobe Jesus" doing a demo. Adobe Max is a conference where Adobe shows off new products and features it has developed for the creative artists.

"What's new in Photoshop and Lightroom?"

"Has After Effects become less intimidating?"

"Why should anyone opt for a subscription based software package as a creative artist?"

These are just some of the questions Adobe addresses during the three-day event. The conference comes with great fanfare and glitz as well as a community vibe that allows attendees to observe and learn more about products, as well as learn some techniques to create awesome content.

The learning sessions range from lectures to hands-on demonstrations. Similar to the tips offered by well-known professional photographers in the "One Tool, Three Ways" series, attendees can learn fundamentals and nuance tips and tricks for their respective discipline be it photography, videography, prototyping or even character animation.

Who should attend Adobe Max?

Similar to developer conferences such as Facebook F8 and Google I/O, if you're a creative artist looking to increase your skill set as well as network with other creatives you should attend this event. As mentioned in my review of Max 2017, some of the sessions and classes may be a little remedial for seasoned creative artists, but it's a great spot to network with like-minded creatives such as photographers, illustrators, UX/UI designer, you name it.

You don't have to attend the event alone. Go as a team if you're part of a design firm or studio. Adobe offers group rates for studios interested in attending. This event is great for team-building in addition to sharpening a team's skills.

I'll be attending the conference ready to share with TechRepublic readers any announcements and other interesting things I come across. My goal is to shed more light on pertinent items regarding the platform. Similar to my discussion with Josh Haftel.

"Ant I really want to attend Max 2018 to network and grow as a creative, but I can't afford it right now."

I get it. Not everyone can afford to make the investment. Fortunately, Adobe launched an opportunity to win a trip to its New York offices as well as a trip to Max 2018. All you have to do is give your elevator pitch as to why you should win a trip to Max. Fire up your creative juices and submit your ideas for judging. More details are available on the Adobe blog.

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By Ant Pruitt

Ant Pruitt is an IT Support Professional with a passion for showing the non-geek how great technology can be. He writes for a variety of tech publications and hosts his own podcast. Ant is also an avid photographer and weight lifter.

Full Bio

Ant Pruitt is an IT Support Professional with a passion for showing the non-geek how great technology can be. He writes for a variety of tech publications and hosts his own podcast. Ant is also an avid photographer and weight lifter.